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Beginner's Blogging Block is a condition associated with blogging whereby a would-be blogger feels unable to begin a blog that could potentially drive additional traffic and leads to his or her business.
This condition is closely related to Blogger's Block, which typically occurs only once blogging has begun.
With more and more people contributing to the blogosphere (hundreds of millions of blogs are indexed by Technorati), it keeps getting harder to catch readers' attentions. This means a lot of would-be bloggers question their ability to create content that is interesting and timely, often hesitating to launch a blog for fear that their hard work will only add to the clutter.
Why should you jump into blogging anyway?
- Long tail keywords mean that even though readers have more choices, they also have more customized content results. Being the result for a really unique search probably means you have the answer, product or advice the reader is seeking. What a great way to qualify!
- Someone at your company is an expert (maybe you!) in something your customers care about, no matter how obscure your product or service. In fact, the more obscure, the less likely it is that someone else is already out there sharing great content on the topic.
- Blogging is a forgiving medium that allows you to move quickly. Most companies agonize over every word of copy on a Web page that customers see every day. With a blog, there is a new post every few days and a more conversational tone is expected. Blogs give you the freedom to create content easily so you get indexed by search engines more frequently for more keywords.
"Sure. That's easy for you to say, Kirsten. You're at HubSpot with a crew of pro-blogger types and a company culture and value proposition that promotes the whole idea of blogging."
Fair, but here are a couple of great examples of bloggers in different industries who have figured out how to achieve blogging success in a crowded environment on topics that, at first blush, might seem esoteric or limited.
1.Indium
This developer, manufacturer and supplier of specialty alloys and solders maintains multiple blogs across technical and bu
siness topics with more than ten bloggers regularly contributing content. Indium's blogs, including a Chinese language series, are particularly useful because the community using solder paste and related products is highly technical and seeks advice and support when they are creating new electronic designs. The gives Indium a vibrant platform for prospect research and customer interaction, drawing folks into their site like a giant content magnet.
Blogger Takeaway: You and I might not initially gravitate to a solder paste blog -- but recognize that almost any highly technical product with multiple applications has a veritable treasure trove of possible blog articles. This is your chance to share ideas, advice and news that will have people coming back to you for more thought leadership.
2. Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep
This Boston-area service company that specializes in all things chimney, ranging from inspections and sweeping to entire rebuilds, began blogging in 2009, helping to triple website traffic and double online leads. The team at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep found that consumers were getting a lot of misinformation about chimney services and seized the opportunity to set the record straight with a blog series that gives answers to frequently asked questions. The blog has even helped consumers protect themselves against a major chimney sweeping scam in the region.
Blogger Takeaway: Your product or service might not be the stuff of major motion pictures, but that doesn't make it uninteresting. In fact, information about the seemingly-mundane topic of your chimney was the perfect opportunity for Billy Sweet to fill a void in a niche area. Consumers today don't know where to go for this type of service, so they Google or Bing it. You can be sure that Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep comes up at the top for results in the Boston-area.
I could regale you with other stories of bloggers who decided to jump in and are seeing results, but instead, I'll encourage you to take the next five minutes to jot down a few topics you might blog about. and then evaluate if maybe you do have what it takes to jump in. Break down that Beginner's Blogging Block with a catalog of ideas that draws on common FAQs, customer concerns and success, best practices, your take on industry news, etc. You may find that you've got 20 great article ideas just waiting to be written!
Photo by Martin Kingsley
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